A different ending
by wingar
Summary: Kujo is captured during the war where he finds unlikely allies among his country's enemies and he tries to rescue Victorique from her imprisonment.
1. Chapter 1

A different ending. A new beginning.

Kazuya Kujo laid flat on the blood stained snow as mortar shells rained down around him. The deafening blows erupted endlessly into his ears as he curled up into a ball, trying to make himself into a smaller target; trying to stay alive, just to see her again. Victorique. The memory of her; short, with long golden hair coupled with the qualities of a legendary detective and childishly stubborn; sent a wave of warmth and longing to his heart. The ring she had given him last year pressed hard against his chest, scarring its presence deep into his skin, reminding him the reason he has not given up hope.

The only rule in a battlefield was: kill or be killed. As the last shatters of the mortar shells faded into the distance and smoke lingered around the area, the remaining survivors of Kujo's regiment hastily got to their feet and resumed the charge upon the enemy under the cover of smoke. Armed with only a rifle, Kujo ran alongside his comrades and dashed blindly through the mist. A firefight broke out as they emerged and Kujo felt a bullet graze his shoulder while his finger systematically pulled the trigger, firing one bullet at a time. Each soldier killed meant one less person to take a shot at him; one step closer to the end of the war and finally reuniting with Victorique.

"ARRRRGHHHHH!" he screamed, as he fought in close combat with two enemies, using his rifle as a makeshift sword. Taking a wide swing, he managed to land a hit on one of their heads, knocking him out instantly. The other dashed in, thrusting his weapon towards Kujo's chest but Kujo managed to sidestep the malicious attack and quickly jab his rifle against the man's back. One shot was all it took. He fell with a splatter of blood and laid motionlessly on the snowy ground as a sea of red blossomed out under him. The sight of it made Kujo retch, even after 6 months at the frontlines, he still could not get used to killing. There was no time to think about it, though, as the next enemy charged towards him. Kujo parried the man's thrust and delivered a crushing blow towards the man's head using the butt of his rifle. The enemies were arriving in waves and there was no way his regiment could fight them off. His eyes glanced to and fro, coming to rest on one of his friends. From the weary, resigned look in his eyes, Kujo knew they were all thinking the same thing: it was time to retreat.

Firing shots at random behind his back, Kujo scuttled as fast as he could through the snow back towards his base. His squad no longer had the smoke which aided their previous charge and were now easy targets for enemy snipers. A cry of pain came from behind him and he knew one of his comrades had been shot. Against his wishes, Kujo kept on running without so much as a glance back. There was nothing he or anyone else could do for him anymore. If they could reach the safety of the forest up ahead, the trees would provide them with the necessary cover to escape enemy fire. He was just a few feet away from the first tree when he was shot.

The searing pain seared through his left leg as he tumbled onto the ground, rifle falling out of his hands. He lied, half buried in the snow, his face contorted in pain. Through his scrunched up eyes, he saw his comrades plunging into the forest oblivious to his plight. The irony that just a few seconds ago he was one of those running, wasn't lost on him as the pain intensified and Kujo blanked out. 

Wake up! WAKE UP!" the shocking impact of cold water sent Kujo nerves reeling and he slowly regaining consciousness.  
>"Wha….at?" he mumbled and was greeted with a tight slap across his face.<br>Kujo opened his eyes to a dimly-lit room and realization crashed down hard on him. Pain and memories gushed back like a tidal wave and, as he struggled to focus, another slap found its mark on the other side of his face. Kujo focused and the sight of an extremely muscular, uniformed man dominated his vision. The mountain of a man had a long, curved knife gripped tightly in his right hand. Kujo recoiled in fear and found that he could barely move his arms...or any other part of his body for that matter. He was chained to a broad, wooden pole of some sort in a large tent with a dozen uniformed soldiers bearing the enemy's crest.

"Back," said a cold voice from the doorway. Hearing this, the soldiers snapped to attention and robotically changed their formation to form two parallel lines to allow their commander to pass through. Kujo could now see the entrance to what looked like a big tent. A tall man wearing an officer hat and flanked by two bodyguards moved towards him.  
>"Sir!" shouted one of the soldiers in the line, brining his arm up into a respectful salute as his commander passed through. The others all followed suit. The commander ignored them all and moved until he was directly in front of Kujo before speaking in the same chilling tone,<br>"Your name"  
>A question issued as a command.<br>"Kuu…..Kujo….." Kujo stammered afraid to meet his eyes. "Sir," He added after a moment's thought.  
>The deafening silence in the tent grew palpable while the commander walked around Kujo, taking his time to assess him.<br>Finally, he stopped and held up something that glimmered in his hand. "This yours?"  
>Kujo eyes locked onto the object and recognition instantly followed: Victorique's ring<br>"That's MINE!" He shouted straining desperately against his bonds. "Give it back….give…..it…BACK!" The chains cut deep into his skin, drawing blood, but the pain barely registered in his subconscious as Kujo continued struggling for all he was worth. 

The commander had taken a step back and his bodyguards were already moving in to protect him. A disgusting sneer crept onto his lips as he relished Kujo's cries. Still in their lines, the soldiers leveled their rifles at Kujo waiting for their commander to give the order.  
>"Guns down," the commander barked. "I got this under control."<br>The soldiers reluctantly lowered their rifles, ready to spring them up again at the first sign of danger. The bodyguards, however, remained where they were and the commander impatiently pushed them aside to step in front of Kujo again.  
>He held up the ring again only this time his other hand positioned a lighter directly below it and Kujo could only watch in fear and sorrow as the flames burst into life, playfully licking at the bottom of the ring.<br>"No…..please….don't….i beg of you." Kujo pleaded.  
>The commander leaned in closer and whispered into Kujo's ear.<br>"This ring….it's very important to you right?"  
>"Yes…..please don't…..."<br>"All I want is for you to remain civilised while you answer any questions I may have for you…" The flames inched just a little closer to the ring.  
>"Do we have an understanding?"<br>Kujo nodded, too fearful to speak. Only when the lighter was withdrawn and vanished into a pocket did he finally let out his breath.  
>The commander straightened up. He turned and spoke to the soldiers, "Dismissed"<br>The soldiers looked between themselves in confusion. "Sir…" one of them finally spoke out "I don't think it's wise…."  
>"I have my bodyguards with me," he icily cut across the speaker, "DISMISSED!"<br>"Sir!" the soldiers saluted once more in a similar fashion before hastily scrambling out of the tent; away from the wrath of their commander. 

"Untie him." He said with his back still facing towards Kujo.  
>One of the bodyguards unsheathed a short dagger from its scabbard and slashed at the ropes binding Kujo. Kujo flinched as the blade swiftly cut through the ropes as if they were paper. As his bonds fell away, his legs gave way and he crumbled to the floor into a kneeling position. The commander snorted in disgust and turned to face him.<br>"I am Commander Harrow, leader of the 23th division of the Allies forces pushing into Sauville…"  
>As he spoke, Kujo tried and failed to stand up, choosing instead to settle into a more dignified sitting posture. His eyes darted around the tent, looking for an escape route which he could take once his legs regained their strength. Until his ears picked up a few phrases.<br>"….a rumor of a Monstre Charman leading the Sauvillian forces….."  
>"Victorique!" Kujo gasped.<br>Commander Harrow paused in mid-sentence and smiled.  
>"I have done some background check on you, Kazuya Kujo, third son of an imperial soldier," he stated. "In fact, we have being searching for you for quite some time….and the way you had just fallen into my hands.." he bent down and stared deeply into Kujo's eyes. "It's as if this is all meant to be. You should consider yourself one…very, very….lucky….guy.."<br>"What….do you mean?" Kujo stammered in amazement. None of this made any sense to him.  
>"Recently, my forces have been suffering heavy setbacks on the Sauvillian front." He had stood up and started pacing up and down the tent, his brow wrinkled in worry.<br>"Sources within told me that this is because a very intelligent person has assumed command of their army" he stopped pacing and started watching Kujo for any signs of reaction. "This person is more commonly known as Monstre Charman, but, you and I both know that her real identity is Victorique de Blois"  
>Kujo kept silent, unwilling to let any emotion show on his face.<br>"And this," Harrow had reached into his pocket and took out the ring, "belongs to her."

Kujo body moved on its own accord. His legs had already regained the strength they needed and he lunged forward, arms reaching out to grab his ring. However, Harrow had nimbly stepped aside leaving Kujo to collapsed sprawled at his feet. Two arms seized Kujo's shoulders and pulled him back, slamming him against the wooden pole where he slumped, too dazed to resist or try another attempt to get his ring back.  
>"Now now, remember what I said about being civilised when I am asking you questions?"<br>A hard punch into his stomach knocked the wind out of him.  
>"Try that again, and I will burn the ring in front of your very eyes." The icy voice hissed.<p>

Kujo looked up and saw that his ring had once again disappeared into the commander's pocket.  
>"Look," Harrow started, "I don't really want to hurt you. I know the legend of Monstre Charman. Victorique is Monstre Charman with legendary abilities whilst you…" he pointed at Kujo, "….are the rabbit that shares the same heart with her and defends her with your very life. If you die, she dies too….or at least that's what the legend says anyway..." At this point, he took out a pistol and leveled it at Kujo's head. "Under normal circumstances, that will be in my favour"<br>Kujo's eyes widened in fear. The two bodyguards were standing by to prevent any attempts to escape and at this range, there was no way Harrow would miss if he fired the gun.  
>"But…" he smiled and placed the pistol back into its holster. "It also means that if I control the rabbit, I can control Monstre Charman, and from the way I see her maneuver their troops, she is one AMAZING strategist. With her on my side, this war will finally be over."<p>

"No," Kujo mumbled.  
>"Sorry?" Commander Edward asked threateningly.<br>"NO!" Kujo blurted out defiantly. "I will not let you use me to get to Victorique!"  
>Edward smiled his signature cold smile. "Funny, I don't remember ever giving you any choice in the matter Kujo. Be grateful that I am sparing your life. Why not look at it this way: If I can bring her over to my side, you two will not be separated anymore. Isn't that what you want?" he leered.<br>Kujo just sat there, unwilling to confess his agreement.  
>"Plus," Commander Edward pressed in, taking advantage of his silence, "her safety here is guaranteed as long as she is useful"<br>"What about once the war is over? What will you do to us then?" Kujo demanded.  
>"You two would have served your purpose. You'll both be free to go." He said simply.<br>Kujo didn't believe him. It was too good to be true. But even so, he could not do a single thing about it. He was too weak.  
>The commander turned to leave and his bodyguards returned to their places at his side. As he moved towards the exit, Kujo muttered resignedly. "Aren't you going to tie me up?"<br>Edward stopped at the flap of the tent. "As long as I have this," he flashed the ring, "I don't think you will be going anywhere."  
>Kujo closed his eyes in misery. He was right.<br>"We will be leaving for Sauville at daybreak." His voice washed over him once more before silence settled back into the tent.  
>Darkness had fallen and Kujo knew it was pointless to try and escape without retrieving his ring first. With a heavy heart, he laid on the cold floor and waited for morning to come. <p>


	2. Chapter 2

**Victorique de Louis  
><strong> 

The sense of hopelessness within the room was eternal. There were no windows and only one door, bolted from the outside. No sunlight ever managed to seep through the walls of the room. Even for the few seconds each day which the door opened, it was always nightfall outside. The quiet shadows that stood in the corners burned their presence deep into her skin, making her feel tainted and uneasy. In this room, she lost her sense of time or direction. Eating when given food and sleeping when the candles were blown out. Victorique was used to confinement. She was used to being alone. However, this time was different. Before, she was willing to accept her fate, believing that resistance was futile. But now, she had felt the radiance of sunlight on her skin; smelt the sweetness of grass in her nose; heard the joy of sparrows ring in her ears; and most importantly, been touched by the sincerity and kindness of her first and only true friend, Kazuya Kujo, in her heart. She refused to give up hope.

Victorique's long, golden hair trailed on the floor behind her as she got up from her bed and walked towards the door at the far end of the room. Her guards remained shrouded in the darkness, making no moves to stop her; the door was securely locked from the outside anyway. She reached out for the handle and tugged, as she had done for the past 2 months, feeling the opposing force which prevented her escape and finally let go. The handle sprang back into its position and Victorique turned around and walked back to her bed. This daily routine was a reminder as much as a warning to both herself and her captors that she still had something to live for and would never yield completely.

As she flopped herself back onto the deceivingly comfortable and soft king-size bed, the door's bolt slid back. The screeching sound resounded within the room and the door swung inwards with a groan of protest. Grevil de Louise stepped nonchalantly into the cold room and the door creaked shut behind him. His golden, spiral, cone-shaped hair coupled with his usual ceaseless, white suit looked comically out of place within the dark, hostile environment of Victorique's prison. Grevil walked towards Victorique; his footsteps heavy and determined.

"Father wants your say in his next move on the war front."

He slipped his hand within his suit and pulled out a thick brown envelop with the imperial Saubure seal and threw it on the bed beside her.

"All the relevant details are inside. I will come back again tomorrow."

Grevil turned to leave and headed back to the door. Just as his hand brushed the handle, the soft, monotone voice of his sister drifted across the room.

"And if I refuse?"

Grevil's hand paused on the handle as he took in Victorique's question.  
>"Father will use all means possible to convince you otherwise. He knows about the boy, he will use him against you."<p>

"If Father hurts Kujo in any way, I will never forgive him. Never."

"IF you don't want Father to hurt the boy, you will do as he says. I will be back tomorrow. Don't forget."

Grevil was just about to open the door when the small voice whispered again.

"When will Father let me go?" The hint of defiance was replaced with a tone of resignation and despair.

"You and I both know the answer," he stated matter-of-factly and stifling a sigh, he pushed open the door with all his might before stepping through and slamming it behind him. The bolt slid back into the place.

Victorique picked up the envelope and let her hand skim across its rough, sandy surface. She was not particularly interested in the ongoing war and she had no obligation whatsoever to help her father who imprisoned her to exploit her intelligence. But if it was for Kujo…..if doing this would ensure his safety…she no longer had any choice.

Fingering the seal, she deftly broke it and the envelope's contents slid out: A few papers with "CLASSIFIED INFORMATION" stamped on them; a map detailing the exact location of their troop's deployment and the terrain of the surrounding area. Victorique read through the papers and studied the map carefully. Another reason why she should help out was because somewhere on the front lines, Kujo was fighting too. If her advice could guide him into safety and protect his life from both her Father and the enemy, it would all be worth it.

Grevil's composure lasted all the way till he had turned the corner of the corridor leading to his sister's cell. Out of sight of the guards, he slumped against the cold stone wall and let out the sigh he had being repressing. Her last sentence told him that she could not handle confinement much longer but knowing his Father, any chances of letting her go was virtually non-existent. He remembered when Victorique was younger and kept in the northern tower of their home at the orders of their Father. There was no contact with the outside world. The few times he had visited her, she was always either reading her books or staring out of the small window at the sky. Her eyes were dark like a void which sucked one in as one gazed into them until one could sense the vast emptiness within her. Grevil could not stand them. With careful persuasion and manipulation, he had somehow managed to convince his Father that it was better to let Victorique outside under careful supervision. Her talents were to be like fruits, grown in the garden of nature, and harvested when the time was ripe.

This time, however, was different. Victorique had already proven herself capable in solving even the most complicated of cases and her talent was considered essential in winning the ongoing war. Under those circumstances, there was no decent convincing reason to free her from her confinement, at least not till the war was over. Furthermore, if he was suspected of even trying to help Victorique in the slightest, he would be the one thrown into prison next. Grevil would have to proceed very carefully. He just hoped that his sister would be able to hold out till then. Regaining his composure, he pasted his poker-face back on and made his way out of the dungeons.

Grevil's had already made his move. If all went according to plan, he should be able to reunite both his sister and the boy and send them somewhere far away from this wretched place. The Allied forces were already fighting a losing battle against Germany and Sauville. Given the opportunity to strike at the heart of their enemies and capture their commander at the same time; it would be like a gift from heaven. They would have their suspicions about him, naturally, but in time to come, they would come to trust and rely on him; not that they had much of a choice seeing how the tide of war was turning slowly but surely against them. It was inevitable. There would be no hope of them winning as long as Victorique remained under Father's control. Despite the circumstances which Victorique was being used under, Grevil still felt a surge of pride at having such a gifted half-sister. But to see that talent abused was another matter. With renewed vigor, he quickened his pace back to his office where he could proceed to make his next move. The coded message had arrived this morning. They had successfully captured the boy and were preparing to scramble a team together to infiltrate Sauville once they received the green light from him. Grevil was in charge of the city defenses. It would not be that difficult to sneak in a small group of people. The only trouble would be getting them out. He would have to think about it later. For now, he carefully wrote out his reply and attached it to the pigeon carrier before releasing it into the sky. As the pigeon took off with a cry, the sun was just awakening from its slumber and casting its warmth over the city and its inhabitants. It was morning; almost time for another visit to his sister.

Victorique had already looked through everything within the envelope. It was so obvious what their next move should be. She had figured it out in a few minutes and now she was bored. The books that littered the floor around her had already being read so many times until she had lost count and could literally spill out their entire contents to anyone who was willing to ask her.

"Soooooooooooo !" she screamed as she thrashed about on her bed.

"Bring me something to do now! NOWWWWW!" she wailed, flailing her arms in frustration. "If I don't get something to do now I will die of boredom!"

Her guards remained at their positions, already used to her frequent outburst. Footsteps echoed down the corridor and Victorique fell silent. The bolt was slid back and the door swung inwards. Grevil walked into the room.

"Oh, it's just you." Victorique sighed in disappointment.

"Tsk, who else would it be?" Grevil retorted. "It's time. Father expects an answer now. Let's go."

Grevil motioned to one of the guards and he stepped out of the darkness into the light of the candles; even then the long black robe he wore covered the length of his body and the hood cast a shadow over his face, concealing his identity. His hands hidden in the sleeves slipped out to provide a long piece of cloth which he handled to Grevil. Grevil motioned for Victorique to stand up. "I am going to blindfold you. Father's orders."

"Humph!" Victorique sniffed. "Let me do it by myself."

"Fine, make sure you tie it properly." He threw her the cloth and she fumbled with it for awhile before successfully tying it around her head, obscuring her vision. Grevil reached out to hold her hand but she quickly snatched it away.

"Don't touch ME!"

"How do you expect to find your way if you don't let me guide you?" Grevil asked in exasperation.

"I will follow the sound of your footsteps!" Victorique shouted indignantly. "Just. Don't. Touch. Me."

"FINE. FINE. Whatever…" Grevil turned around and started walking angrily out of the room. Victorique gingerly slipped her foot off the bed and slowly lowered it until it came into contact with the floor. She followed up by touching the other foot to the floor and shuffled across the room to where Grevil stood, tapping his foot for her benefit. The robed guard silently shadowed her behind. In the corridor, Victorique could use the walls for support but she still struggled to keep up with her brother's pace. The journey passed on without much incident other than the occasional tripping and stumbling but by the time they had reached their destination, Victorique was already panting from fatigue.

"We are here." The blindfold slipped off and Victorique could finally see. They were standing in front of a large battered wooden door.  
>"Go in. Father is waiting."<p>

Victorique rested one hand against the cold door.  
>"What about you?"<p>

"I am not allowed inside. I will wait for you here."

Victorique nodded and slowly poured her strength into pushing the door. It swung inwards with a creak and she stepped in. Grevil promptly closed the door behind her. From within, the only light source was a single candle-stick in the middle of the room; illuminating the place just enough to make out the number of people sitting on chairs but not enough to make out their faces. One thing for certain, however, was that the man sitting in the largest chair directly opposite her, was her Father.

"Step forward into the light so we can see you." The deep, authoritative voice of her Father rang out.

Victorique complied and took a few steps forward towards the centre of the room. "You men would have me review myself while you lounged around in the darkness hiding yourselves from me. Are manners lost from this world?"

Her words were met with a couple of chuckles.  
>"For a small girl, you sure know how to talk big," sneered one of the seated, drawing more laughter.<p>

"Enough!" The cold voice sliced through the laughter and silence fell instantly; all humor dispelled with a word.  
>"Time is of essence. Let's hear what you have for me."<p>

Victorique sighed before speaking in her soft, monotone voice, "From all the information you have given me," she stated, "I think your best move now is to pull back your soldiers at the Eastern front and have them regroup at the forest of Eden. At the same time, bolster up your anti-air defenses at the city of Hamburg in preparation for…"

"Wait…WAIT!" an angry voice boomed from her right. "You want us to pull back all our forces after we have just broken through their main defenses? Are you crazy? Do you know how hard it was to EVEN obtain that level of success on the battlefield? And bolster anti-air defenses at Hamburg? When their nearest airfield is approximately 4000km away….barely enough for a one way trip….. "

"General Hiro!" Father spoke again. "Control yourself."

"Yes sir," the incredulous voice was replaced by a meek tone.

Victorique seized her opportunity. "Despite what you may think, what we have broken through was not their main defenses. I believe their main army is currently entrenched further behind along the series of hills where they would have the advantage. Furthermore, it's the winter season now, making your movements quite restricted. If you are to press forward, your army would only be stuck in the snowstorm, under fire from enemy artillery and sitting ducks against their bombers; able to neither retreat nor advance. "

Her speech was met with silence but through the weak glow of the candle light, Victorique could see a few heads nodding in agreement at her reasoning and explanation.

"What about Hamburg? Why do you ask us to bolster our air defenses there?" Father was the one who spoke this time.

"Hamburg is the city where majority of your weaponry are produced," Victorique answered. "There is a high chance that the enemy already knows this and will attempt to capture it at all cost."

"Yes, but how….."

"Paratroopers coupled with suicide bombers."

A flurry of murmuring broke out at her words.  
>"No way….they can't be that desperate…."<br>"It's possible…..we certainly won't be prepared…."  
>"Our current precautions aren't enough…."<br>"Can you trust the reasoning of a kid….?"

Out of the commotion, her Father's voice came once more.  
>"How sure are you of this?"<p>

Victorique tilted her head to one side as everyone stopped talking to hear her answer.  
>"Very sure," she claimed. "But it's your choice whether you want to believe me or not."<p>

Father breathed in deeply; contemplating her answer.  
>"Very well. You may go."<p>

Victorique turned, her long hair gracefully sweeping around her as she made her way back to the door. By the time she was outside, the debate had already escalated to a shouting match. Grevil shot her a bemused look as he handed her the blindfold.  
>"You really know how to push their buttons huh?"<p>

"Whatever." She responded and followed him back to her cell.


End file.
